


Rooftops

by LucyLightwood



Category: Dishonored (Video Games), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Crossover, Crushes, F/F, Flirting, Friendship, Mutual Pining, Other, Play Fighting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 00:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14532588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyLightwood/pseuds/LucyLightwood
Summary: Ciri shouldn't use her powers, but she does.Emily shouldn't be out in the rooftops, but she is.They meet, and something changes forever.





	Rooftops

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe there aren't more works about these two.

 

Everything was different there, even the sky. She had gotten better at traveling between worlds, but always found herself blinking in amazement at things she had never seen before.  
  
Ciri smiled to a... train? running over a city powered by something that looked a lot like magic but surely wasn't. She was lucky to have landed on a rooftop and not in the middle of a crowd. People weren't too happy when someone appeared out of nowhere. She had almost been shot once.  
  
Alright, being able to travel between worlds also meant she had to be a quick learner and not get scared at things she didn't understand like why there was a huge drawing of a whale on one building. Did these people work with... whales?  
  
The rooftops creaked under her feet and she cursed through gritted teeth. It was night time and she didn't want to be mistaken with a thief.  
Ciri wanted to breathe in some fresh air, but the air was filled with... smells she was sure she didn't wish to smell ever again.  
  
"Alright... A city" She muttered to herself while carefully finding her way through the roofs. Her clothes would prove a problem, even if she wasn't going to stay long enough.  
  
Her feet hit the concrete floor and she smiled, getting off the rooftops and into some secluded space was the best thing she could do. Thank the gods it was night time, people seemed to be inside their homes. She hoped the lonely streets didn't mean something worse.  
  
She turned around, following a soft hum on her right ear and found herself dragged towards something that beckoned her. Ciri's vision grew blurred and her whole body relaxed, feet dragging towards the sound. A shadow passed in front of her eyes, so close she could touch but so far she didn't know who it was.  
  
"Mother?" Ciri whispered, unsure since she had no clear recollection of her birth mother. Was that the beyond? Could she see her Mother? Maybe even Skjall, maybe she could ask for forgiveness...  
  
A clothed arm closed around her neck, and everything went black. Ciri didn't even fight, giving in to the darkness.  
  
*  
  
Emily enjoyed her night escapades through Dunwall's rooftops, and after everything that had happened with Delilah she had taken upon herself to keep going out every night. This time not to escape from her duties but to improve herself. She couldn't go around being a vigilante _all the time_ , but she had saved a couple people, and discovered plots that could prove harmful to the common people.  
  
The City was rebuilding even if nothing would bring back the people they had all lost. She would always blame herself for not seeing what was brewing right under her nose.  
  
That night, a bright light in the distance caught her eye. Something wicked, something bad. Emily used her new powers  -she sometimes saw the longing in his Father's eyes, how he missed his own abilities- to reach the sudden burst of magic in the city's air. She worried, even if Corvo was an amazing fighter, she worried one day he would be too slow or someone with powers just like hers would take him away. She would not allow it. Not now, not ever.  
  
There was a woman there, with strange clothes and two swords on her back. This was bad. Was she a witch? Whatever she had done had to be magic, and the clothing she wore was nothing she had ever seen in her City.  


Bad news.  


Emily decided to follow her from a distance, and when it was time she used her ability to mesmerize. Killing the woman was not a good idea, it would take away any possibility of figuring out what was going on. If this was a witch and was plotting something -maybe a lost ally from Delilah?- she had to figure out what it was.  
  
Emily jumped from rooftop to rooftop carrying the woman over her shoulder, using her powers to quickly return to the Tower. Coldridge prison was not an option -they weren't precisely capable of keeping their prisoners _in_. And if someone could help her extract information it was her Father.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Father. But this is most urgent"  
  
Corvo blinked staring at his daughter and nodded, quickly sitting up in bed and reaching for his clothes. Emily wasn't sure how he always stayed ready. Sometimes she wondered if his Father had had a good night's sleep since... since...  
  
"What's wrong, Emily?"  
  
"Something... strange happened tonight. I was out and saw a light."  
  
"A light?"  
  
"I think it was magic, couldn't explain it. And then I found... It's better if you see it for yourself"  
  
Once Corvo was dressed -and it only took him three minutes to be ready- they hurried to Emily's secret room. It was the safer part of the Tower, in a way, and they were the only ones able to get inside.  
  
"Who is she?"  
  
"I don't know, Father. I think she might be a witch, yes, she doesn't look like one but... After everything that happened..."  
  
Corvo sighed and made the girl sit up, starting to tie her to the sofa. "You should've tied her up, did you choke her how I taught you?"  
  
"Of course" Emily crossed her arms and stared at the young woman. Her skin was fair and her hair was... terribly odd. Ashen, almost white. She looked like a noble woman, but a scar on her face told another story. Maybe she had been rejected by her family?  
  
"Interesting swords... never seen anything like it. Is this...?" Corvo's eyes widened at one of the blades "This is pure silver. Expensive..."  
  
"Silver? How much do you think it costs? Do you think she stole it?" Emily could see her own reflection on the perfect blade, it looked sharp and dangerous. Was the woman dangerous?  
  
"No" Corvo sheathed the sword and left it away from the girl, it was better that way "Her hands, do you see? She knows how to handle the blades"  
  
Emily nodded and reached out to touch one of the woman's hands. They were really pale and slender, and she wondered how this girl could hold such a huge sword. It was extremely curious.  
  
"....no"  
  
What? Emily stopped her movements, close to the other girl's hand and stared at her face. She was still out of it, but her lips were trembling.  
  
"Uncle... _no_... Uncle Vesemir!"  
  
The girl's eyes opened wide, revealing a deep green forest that was suddenly confused and then angry. Oh, really angry. Emily stepped back, thinking about one of those drawings she had seen of Lions from the Pandyssian continent.  
  
"Where... Where am I?" The ashen-haired girl asked, trying to move but finding herself tied. "Who are you? What do you want?"  
  
"Watch your tongue, you are in the presence of Empress Emily Kaldwin, th-"  
  
"Father, it's alright" Emily interrupted, placing a hand on her father's arm. "I don't think she's from here"  
  
The young woman showed her teeth while her wrists twisted inside the ropes.  
  
"I... I can explain"  
  
"We hope so" Emily threw herself on the sofa in front of her, trying to look as bored as she was during certain meetings she had. Truth was she had never been more interested in anyone. Well, kind of.  
  
"My name's Ciri. What's yours?"  
  
Emily raised an eyebrow "Emily Kaldwin. You don't know who I am?"  
  
"Empress something something, right?" Ciri looked at the man standing next to her "He's your father, uhm...?"  
  
"Corvo. His name's Corvo Attano"  
  
"Right. I don't know you, or... this place we're in. I... come from far away"  
  
Emily bent forward, placing her elbows on her knees and stared harder at the girl. What did it all mean? How could she now know them? Maybe if she wasn't from the continent, but that complexion and clothing was nowhere she knew or read about.  
  
"How far?"  
  
"I think... It's hard to explain. I have certain abilities."  
  
"I realized that last night"  
  
"Last night? How long has it been? How...?" The young woman frowned "You did something to me. You... I would've heard you"  
  
Emily shrugged, not willing to share information about _her_ abilities to a complete stranger that was threatening her empire.  
  
"I need you to explain your abilities in detail and what you are doing in my empire" Emily ordered, not releasing her Father from her side. It was better to have him there. Even if Corvo didn't have his powers anymore, he had the experience she lacked "As you _surely_ don't know, we had a problem with a witch not too long ago"  
  
"You think I am a witch? No. I am not a sorceress"  
  
Sorceress? What a strange word. Emily made a simple "hm" sound and decided not to comment on that. It was always best to have the upper hand when interrogating enemies.  
  
She had seen enough death to allow another threat to terrorize her citizens.  
  
"What are you doing in my Empire?"  
  
"I shouldn't be here" Ciri said, biting her lip and looking around the room. Was she looking for a way to escape? "If you release me and give me back my swords, I will leave"  
  
"Not until we know you are not a threat. Where exactly do you wish to go to?"  
  
"Back home" Her answer was so quick Emily almost wanted to believe her. The ashen haired girl was beautiful, of course, and was a mystery. Emily almost hated how much she loved mysteries.  
  
"And where is home?"  
  
"You wouldn't know the place"  
  
"Father, why don't you bring us a map and we let her show us"  
  
The young woman scoffed "It's not on any of _your_ maps"  
  
Interesting. And Dangerous. It was true that the world was a vast place, and maybe not all of it had been explored. Could it be there was an unexplored land where women dressed that way, and fought and had ashen hair?  
"Are you saying there is undiscovered land?"  
  
Ciri shook her head, hairs touching her face. "My full name is Cirilla Fionna Ellen Riannon, I am the heir of... Nilfgaard" She sounded heartbroken, but Emily was sure she hadn't heard of anywhere with such  name "And of a few other places too, I guess. I shouldn't be here, and I really need to get back home soon"  
  
"Father, do you know anything of this place?"  
  
Corvo shook his head, he hadn't stopped watching the girl carefully. Was he seeing through her lies? Was she lying?  
  
Ciri seemed to consider her next words, and pressed her lips together. Emily waited for her to talk, but she didn't. The same blue-ish light flashed in front of her eyes and then the girl was a couple feet away from them, released from her bounds and looking only slightly startled.  
  
Corvo took a fighting stance almost immediately, closing one of his fists despite not having his powers anymore.  
  
She could only stare, if the girl wanted to hurt them she would have done it by now. Apparently she had abilities just like herself.  
  
"So you have met the outsider"  
  
"Who?" Ciri seemed cautious, her feet ready to run if needed to.  
  
"Do not play dumb, the outsider. Who else would give such powers?"

Emily stood up, taking one of Ciri's swords and holding it in her grasp. She had her own, but maybe it would be more poetic to kill this intruder with the same weapon she had brought to her empire.  
It would be poetic, if she were a killer. Emily sighed and dropped the sword onto the sofa, closing the distance between her and the girl.  
  
"Emily" Her father tried, a warning in his voice. She ignored him.  
  
"I believe her, Father. I don't think she's from here and I don't think she wishes for my throne. You don't, do you?"  
  
Ciri shook her head "I can have a throne back home, and I didn't want it either"  
  
Emily swallowed at that "You can't just say no to a throne, girl"  
  
"Don't call me _girl_!"  
  
Corvo groaned behind them. What? Two young ladies were too much for one Royal Protector? Emily was going to tease him so much.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
"It's what I do..."  
  
"Explain it to me" Emily said, well, ordered but the other woman didn't seem to give in to her demands. " _Please_ "  
  
"They call me the Lady of Space and Time" Ciri said, shrugging. "I travel through worlds. I shouldn't be here. It was reckless to come here. I-... It was a mistake, actually"  
  
Her accent was delightful. Emily crossed her arms and stared at her father who looked as puzzled as she was. They both had seen unbelievable things, saved her empire with _magic_ from The Outsider. Could it be so hard to believe someone else had similar abilities?  
  
"Who created you?"  
  
" _Created_ me?" Ciri scoffed "I am not a thing. It's in my blood, it's my _gift_ "  
Emily sat down again, making it clear that she didn't feel threatened by the woman. It was a weird tactic, but it worked. When she was little, people always tried to get her to do their bidding or simply believed she wasn't fit for the throne, pretending not to be afraid showed them how powerful she truly was.  
  
"Father, do you think the Outsider has a...?"  
  
"Don't speak as if I am not here!"  
  
Corvo stared, ready to say something about how she couldn't speak to the Empress that way, but Emily cut him off with a single hand gesture.  
  
"We're still trying to understand who you are or what are you trying to do to my people"  
  
"I wish to _leave._ I know _nothing_ about this place and I have _no_ desire for your throne, _miss_ Empress"  
  
Cheeky.  
  
Emily arched an eyebrow.  
  
"You truly don't know who I am? How about my mother? Do you know her name?"  
  
Ciri blinked and stared at them in disbelief "I have no idea who your mother was, but I would gladly talk to her if you tell me she's more reasonable than you two"  
  
Corvo swallowed and shifted in place. Emily felt bad for her Father, he had never truly left _that_ terrible moment fifteen years ago. She wished he would.  
  
"My mother is dead"  
  
And it never hurt less to say it.  
  
"I am sorry" She was being honest, that much Emily could tell "I didn't mean to pry"  
  
"Oh, you don't. It was news. Everyone knew when my mother was assassinated. Father, I think she speaks the truth"  
  
"Emily, are you sure...?"  
  
"I mesmerized her and she fell for it like a bloodfly. I don't really think she is a powerful witch like Delilah"  
  
Corvo nodded again and looked over at the ashen-haired woman that was murdering them with her eyes.  
  
"Can I have my weapons now?"  
  
Emily shook her head "No, you can't. But you are not a prisoner." A small pause "Father, do you mind leaving us?"  
  
The older man hesitated, but finally nodded with a tired expression  
"Remember what I taught you"  
  
Ciri had no idea what that was, but if her father was anything like her own... that could only mean bad things.  
  
"Do you plan to kill me? I won't make it easy for you"  
  
Emily waited until the footsteps were barely audible and shook her head.  
  
"No, of course not. I wish to... talk"  
  
*  
  
Everything was weird. The room she was in was weird, the clothing on the other woman was...weird. It was all... _weird._ Ciri sighed, if someone else had gotten her gift -someone like Dandelion- they could create amazing poetry. But she was the one with the gift and the most she could think about the new world she had found was that it was weird.  
  
The Empress was a bit taller than her, and had a look in her eyes... She had seen terrible things.  
  
"What do you want to talk about?" Ciri knew that if she wanted, she could use her powers to disappear and re appear behind Emily, snatch her swords and get away in less than a minute.  
  
"You"  
  
"Alright." Ciri swallowed, the other woman was attractive too. Not like the nobility women she had met back home, it was different. Emily didn't care about dresses or looking feminine, and it was wrecking havoc in Ciri's mind.  
  
Everything about Empress Emily screamed power. Usually, Ciri would have found that terribly dull but not that night.  
  
"Where did you come from?"  
  
"My parents"  
  
Alright. Maybe joking was a bad idea.  
  
"Well, from my world. I know it's hard to believe but there are multiple worlds. Time and space is not... I don't see it the same as you. It's hard to explain and not even I understand it completely but this is what I can do."  
  
Emily nodded and seemed less worried than before. Surely know that she knew she wasn't a threat it would... all be okay.  
  
"How is your world? Is it like ours?"  
  
"No. Nothing like it." Ciri smirked looking around "My dad is not going to believe it... How is this powered?" She pointed at a light above them. It wasn't a candle. She had seen such contraptions before, in other worlds, but they were always different. Ciri longed to see what her world would come up with eventually.  
  
"Whale oil. Well, it's electricity but the source of it comes from our whale oil. Some of it can be powered with wind"  
  
"With the wind?" Ciri smiled wider and reached out trying to touch the light "Incredible"    
  
Emily didn't smile but she didn't look angry either. That was fine. Women didn't have to smile to be nice, and Ciri didn't feel threatened by her either.  
  
"Do you have monsters in your world"  
  
Emily frowned "Every world has monsters"  
  
"I mean it in the literal sense. You know, like... ghosts, and drowners and dragons"  
  
"Dragons? You come from a world with Dragons?" There was something in the young Empress' voice that almost resembled... wonder.  
  
"Yeah, not as many as before though. And I don't fight them"  
  
"But you fight monsters" Emily's words were slow, as if she were trying to wrap her head around it all.  
  
Ciri nodded.  
  
"Yes. My father and I. He taught me how"  
  
Emily smiled at that, and nodded towards the door "Do you wish to go to the rooftops?"  
  
"Sure. But I need my swords."  
  
"Alright, but you are _leaving_ after this walk" That was an order, and normally Ciri would have protested but she _really_ needed to go back home.  
  
  
  
   


**Author's Note:**

> This will be a short one (I think). I couldn't get it out of my head so... here it is. Please leave a comment if you can :)  
> Part two coming this week, probably.


End file.
